Idol 2012: Top 7 (Part II), Now & Then

OMG A SAVE?!? SHOCKER! I DIDN'T THINK IT'D BE USED!!!! OMG!!!

Except that if you count the weeks, you see that it had to be used. So, there's that.

The question: is America sick of Jessica, or is it voter complacency? I'm leaning towards the latter... but who knows.

"Now & Them" week. An Idol standby. But a decent enough theme.

• Hollie Cavanaugh - Rolling in the Deep (by Adele) - I never would have guessed Hollie would do this song! /sarcasm… A good performance, though, probably Hollie's best. 
• Colton Dixon - Bad Romance (by Lady Gaga) - I get what Colton was trying to do… but misfire. I wasn't digging that. Maybe it was the compacted performance, but everything seemed rushed and not fully realized.
• Elise Testone - No One (by Alicia Keys) - A safe song choice, sure… but flawless, effortless vocals. FLAWLESS.
• Phillip Phillips - U Got It Bad (by Usher) - I initially thought this was a train wreck waiting to happen… but not the case in the slightest. Quite the opposite, actually. Just might be Phil's best performance to date. 
• Jessica Sanchez - Fallin' (by Alicia Keys) - This performance was nothing new. Strong vocals (as usual), Beyonce-like focus and vocals (seen it), random red things all over stage (seen it). Boringness got her voted out last week… then this. 
• Skylar Laine - Born This Way (by Lady Gaga) - Performing with Sons of Sylvia! Niiiice. I continue to not really enjoy the country Born This Way… but this performance was spot-on. As the judges gushed about, this is Skylar's third straight powerhouse performance. Loved it.
• Josh Ledet - I Believe (by Fantasia) - Good, I guess. I've never really 'gotten' Fantasia, and didn't really 'get' this performance. Josh definitely felt it, though.
• Hollie Cavanaugh - Son of a Preacher Man (by Dusty Springfield) - Meh. A bit of a return to the underwhelming Hollie of old. The judges loved this, but we know they can't be trusted.
• Colton Dixon - September (by Earth, Wind and Fire) - Giant tree! A bit safe, but Colton made an iconic song his own. Personally, I liked this better than Bad Romance.
• Elise Testone - Let's Get It On (by Marvin Gaye) - Underwhelming after the master class she put on earlier. The song choice could have been MUCH better. Trying to have a discussion with the judges about critique is usually a kiss of death, too… eek.
• Phillip Phillips - In the Midnight Hour (by Wilson Pickett) - Phil sans guitar! Fun performance, if a bit un-Phil-like. Both smart decisions. Good night for Phil. "Brilliantly awkward" indeed, Steven.
• Jessica Sanchez - Try a Little Tenderness (by Otis Redding) - MUCH more interesting performance to me by Jessica. Good stuff.
• Skylar Laine - Heard It Though the Grapevine (by Marvin Gaye) - More Sons of Sylvia, and more awesomeness from Skylar. Good night for Skylar, too.
• Josh Ledet - Change Is Gonna Come (by Sam Cooke) - Good stuff, sure… but easily the most obvious performance of the night. 

Winner of the Night... Skylar. Easily, Skylar. Phillip also had a very good night, but Skylar turned in two finale-calibur performances.

Better watch out... Elise or Hollie. I'm biased so I'll say Hollie will get booted. The third member of the bottom three will be interesting to see...

(The return of) Loser of the Night... Sons of Sylvia. Like two years ago, they were being pushed as the next best thing in country music, with a plum spot on Carrie Underwood's album and an opening gig for her on tour... and now they are backing up an American Idol contestant with no credit given. Eek.

Idol 2012: Top 7, Songs from the Last Three Years

Last week went as it should have. Good.

How random of a theme. They call it "Songs from This Decade"... but my title is more descriptive.

• Skylar Laine - (by Kellie Pickler) - Fantastic. Everything about this performance was fantastic. Bravo. Skylar going first though… that's a concern.
• Colton Dixon - Love the Way You Lie (by Skylar Gray) - broken record: Fantastic. Everything about this performance was fantastic. Bravo. A little safe perhaps, but I don't care.
• Elise Testone & Philip Phillips - Somebody I Used to Know (by Gotye) - Elise pretty much kicked Philip's ass on this… but that's ok. I hope this is on iTunes…
• Jessica Sanchez - Stuttering (by Jazmine Sullivan) - I'm starting to lose any interest I had in Jessica. Hella talented, absolutely… but I'm bored.
• Josh Ledet - Runaway Baby (by Bruno Mars) - I'm 100% certain the judges have never heard this song before. Josh did the song as written aside from needlessly wailing the end of it… but he's dynamic and a performer! Go him! 
• Colton Dixon & Skylar Laine - Don't You Wanna Stay (by Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson) - This is like a genre flip that's throwing me for a loop. Sad to say… this was an unfortunate mess. 
• Hollie Cavanagh - Perfect (by P!nk) - A noble attempt, but Hollie's too… rigid for midtempo pop music. Unfortunate misfire.
• Philip Phillips - Give a Little More (by Maroon 5) - I almost didn't recognize this song, but in a good way. I totally admit my bias here, but I kinda loved this. He does do pretty much the same thing every week, so he needs to be a bit careful.
• Josh Ledet, Jessica Sanchez & Hollie Cavanagh - Stronger (by Kelly Clarkson) - Ah, when a trio sings an duo arrangement. Third voice, just wail in the background. The third voice consistently sounded good, the two voices in harmony sounded weird, and the solos were all meh.
• Elise Testone - Yoü and I (by Lady Gaga) - LOVE Elise at the piano. Strong performance overall, but a bit safe for me. Nothing spectacular or really new from Elise. Great vocals as usual, but pretty much as expected.

Overall, this was yet another strong night for the contestants. This is a strong season, methinks. BUT… everyone was rather safe tonight. There wasn't a single moment where you sat back and say "wow, I wasn't expecting that". Or, at least, I didn't have a moment like that.

Winner of the Night… Skylar? Colton? I'll call it a draw between the two of them. Them going so early might even it all out, though.

Better watch out… Hollie. No question. She's likely a goner. The rest of the bottom three will be interesting, though. It seems to me that everyone is pretty bunched up, so there could be a surprise here… but it'll probably be an all-girl bottom 3, because that's how the voters role: Hollie, Skylar and Elise. Unfortunate for the last two, but that's hot it goes.

Idol 2012: Top 8, 80's Week

Heejun gone! He was one of the two right choices. And the other right choice was buried at the top of the show tonight. Huzzah!

• Deandre Brackensick - I Like It (by Debarge) - Bury him at the top of the show, I like it. MUCH better than last week, but still not a fan. 
• Elise Testone - I Wanna Know What Love Is (by Foreigner) - Would have loved her to do "Hallelujah", too… I think "tour de force" is the word I'm searching for here. Apparently I saw a different performance than the judges…
• Colton Dixon & Skylar Laine - Islands in the Stream (by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton) - Cute. Seemed artificial, but I liked the harmonies.
• Phil Phillips - That's All (by Genesis) - Seemed tentative at points, but worked it out by the end. Nothing we haven't seen from Phil though…
• Hollie Cavanagh & Deandre Brackensick - I'm So Excited (by The Pointer Sisters) - Hollie doing an uptempo song is a breath of fresh air. The performance can't escape Deandre, though…
• Josh Ledet - If You Don't Know Me by Now (by Simply Red) - Haven't we seen this same exact performance from Josh already? 
• Jessica Sanchez - How Will I Know? (by Whitney Houston) - Not shabby. Nothing shocking, which is probably expected, given it's Jessia singing Whitney.
• Phil Phillips & Elise Testone - Stop Dragging My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty - Loved this, as expected. But Phil, dear, keep the guitar.
• Hollie Cavanagh - What a Feeling (by Irene Cara) - I was excited for this after hearing Hollie's duet… but a misfire. Shaky performance that never got to where it needed to go. Actually, it came off incredibly desperate.
• Josh Ledet & Jessica Sanchez - I Knew You Were Waiting for Me (by Aretha Franklin & George Michael) - That was fun.
• Colton Dixon - Time After Time (by Cyndi Lauper) - Loved the arrangement, but vocals were a touch messy. Still, probably my favorite thus far. And giving credit to the band responsible for the arrangement? How un-Idol like!
• Skylar Laine - Wind Beneath My Wings (by Bette Midler) - Beautiful performance. Perfect choice after last week's performance, that's for sure. Best of the night.

Another strong night, all in all. I'm not totally convinced there is an absolute star this season, but this is a very strong season in it's own right. I'd be happy with no less than 4 contestants winning, which just may be a new personal record for me at this point...

Winner of the Night... Skylar. She took a VERY recognizable song, put her own personal stamp on it, and hit it out of the park. Great stuff.

Better watch out... Deandre and Hollie. The former turned in a completely unmemorable performance leading off the show... never good. And Hollie completely misfired on her solo. Given that she's a girl, she's my pick to go home this week.

Idol 2012: Top 9, Songs from their Idols

Blech, America. The 'vote out the girls!' voting tendencies claims another talented female vocalist. I wouldn't say Erika was the most talented of the contestants, but she most certainly should have lasted another 3 weeks or so, at least. Ugh. I think they should have kept the So You Think You Can Dance-like voting, with a bottom girl and a bottom guy, with the judges ultimately deciding for a few extra weeks. This is getting silly.

Anyhoo. I love the "choose anything you want, we'll slap a name on it" themes. Really, I do. I am usually annoyed by the theme nights, so theme-less them nights are awesome.

• Colton Dixon - Everything (by Lifehouse) - Messy vocals, but the usual strong performance.
• Skylar Laine - Gunpowder and Lead (by Miranda Lambert) - YES. A little karaoke, but spunk to share. Loved it.
• Heejun Han - A Song For You (by Donnie Hathaway) - I shrugged. I really did. I didn't feel a thing.
• Hollie Cavanagh - Jesus Take the Wheel (by Carrie Underwood) - Karaoke… but the first time I've felt Hollie. Great vocals.
• Deandre Brackensick - Sometimes I Cry (by Eric Benet) - Ugh. I hate Deandre's falsetto. So I hated this.
• Jessica Sanchez - Sweet Dreams (by Beyonce) - The doors were weird. Strong vocals… but didn't love it.
• Phil Phillips - Still Rainin' (by Jonny Lang) - I think I loved everything about this performance. Absolutely everything.
• Josh Ledet - Without You (by Mariah Carey) - Made a classic his own. Easily Josh's best. Well played.
• Elise Testone - Whole Lotta Love (by Led Zepplin) - Surprisingly fabulous. Best of the night. 

Wtf is with the trios, Idol? I hate the cheesy extra performances in competition for the sake of time filling. I mean, I'm more than fine with extra performances, but forcing the contestants into cheesy karaoke medleys is just lame. Save them for time fillers on the results shows, or on tour when cheesiness reign supreme.

Winner of the night... Elise. Elise. Phil. Skylar. Elise. Loved those three, with Elise my absolute favorite. Speaking of tour, those three songs need to appear on the road. Yes, yes and yes.

Better watch out... I'm just going to put Deandre in here permanently until we are all put out of our misery and he's gone. Seriously. He's a trainwreck. But given the predictable voting patterns... Hollie and likely Elise will be here too. Heejun should be as well.

Idol 2012: Top 10: Songs from THE MAN, Billy Joel

Billy Joel. Billy Effing Joel. My favorite artist of all time. I'm not one to actually believe that only one artist can do a specific song… but fair warning, I'm sure to be very tough on the Idols this week.

Diddy mentoring the Idols during Billy week. Yep, perfect match. Yep.

And because I know the Billy songbook so well, I'm going to give better song choices for those that fail at that. Or alternate songs I want to hear the contestants sing if they picked right. Yes.

• Deandre Brackensick - Only the Good Die Young - Bad karaoke. Ugh. - "Keeping the Faith" would have been a far better (if obvious) choice.
• Erika Van Pelt - New York State of Mind - Sadface. Sounds great, but way over singing the song. - "Downeaster Alexa", anyone?
• Josh Ledet - She's Got a Way - Awkward yet fitting arrangement. Predictable OTT vocals. - "Everybody Has a Dream" has somewhat of a church-feel… so that'd probably have been a better choice. Also… STEVEN TYLER HAS NEVER HEARD THIS SONG BEFORE?!?!?
• Skylar Laine - Shameless - Seemed forced until the end. Strange key to start. - Absolutely obvious (and best) choice. "Just the Way You Are" would have been sweet too.
• Elise Testone - Vienna - Yes. Yes. YES. Weird ending, but YES. - This was the song I had in mind for her from the get-go. No other suggestion. Perfect.
• Phil Phillips - Movin' Out - I love Phil. Predictable, sure, but I love him. - How 'bout some "Big Shot" or "You May Be Right"?
• Hollie Cavanagh - Honesty - Fabulous, if a bit pitchy. - I was thinking something a touch more low-key. Perhaps a gender-switched "She's Got a Way"?
• Heejun Han - My Life - Super awkward, that's for sure. - I thought a ballad for sure. "Just the Way You Are"? 
• Jessica Sanchez - Everybody Has a Dream - Nothing new, but a return to form after last week. - I have no idea what song Jessica would do. This is one of the few she could wail on, so there you go.
• Colton Dixon - Piano Man - Without a doubt the best of the night. Stunning. - A nice, chill, smooth ballad was exactly what I was thinking for Colton. Specifically "Summer, Highland Falls" for an unexpected choice… but yeah, "Piano Man" worked. 

I thought I was going to hate this week... but I didn't. Loved it. Maybe I'm still reeling from Colton's performance, but this is easily my favorite week of Idol since season eight.

Winner of the night... is this even a question? Colton by a mile (which is saying something because I really loved Elise and Phil this week, too).

Better watch out... this is tough. Perhaps it's my bias talking, but Deandre's bizarre fangirl backing could be tested. Hollie could be in trouble too. And to round out a bottom three... Heejun?